


a quiet place amongst the stars

by ephemeralstar



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Peter is the Lone Survivor on Titan, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Gen, Major Spoilers, Outer Space, Peter-centric, Podfic Welcome, Post Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), That Riz Amhed Picture [im sad], Unecessary Self Blame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 20:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14433432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralstar/pseuds/ephemeralstar
Summary: Peter survives Thanos's 'halving the population of the universe' plan, but he's the only one on Titan who does. Now he's alone on this abandoned dust ball of a planet, alone with an AI who doesn't recognise him, and Tony's ashes on his hands and in the cracks of his armour.





	a quiet place amongst the stars

**Author's Note:**

> im sad. I saw IW 3 hours ago. have at.

The world is quiet here.

( _Where is here? Space. It's definitely space. Is the air breathable? Did he die on impact? Is he already dead? And isn't it scary to think that that would be nice?_ )

This world, wherever he is, seems abandoned, seems like it's been that way for years, probably seems like it's been abandoned longer than Peter has.

( _What does that even_ mean _? He can't just think things like that! Abandoned like two minutes ago when Mr Stark turned to dust beside him? Abandoned like ten years ago when his parents died? Abandoned like right now when he realised he's probably never leaving this planet? Oh God, he's never leaving this planet is he? He's going to starve to death._ )

"Karen?" Even to himself he sounds like a child. The AI of the suit does not respond. "Fr- Friday?" He tries again. Still no response.

( _He needs to go home. He needs to get out of this suit. There's already dirt and dust clinging to the crevices of the metal, Mr Stark's going to- Mr Stark's not going to do anything. The ashes of his mentor cling to his suit, he's been scrubbing but all it's been doing is leaving scratches. Would he stop scrubbing if he scratched right through the suit? Would the ashes be there too? Is Mr Stark's blood on his hands? He needs to go home, he needs to- oh no, oh fuck oh fuck **oh fuck,**_ **May** -)

He raps his knuckles against the chest of his suit, eyes closed, tears edging their way down his cheeks. "Please, I want to go home now." The AI stirred, but his eyes are still closed.

( _Footage of dust storms back home we're never this bad, but this isn't home, it's space. He's going to die in space, or, another theory he posits, in a snow globe, where the maker put red in instead of white snow, a winter wonderland, it would explain the star shapes. Please, oh please let this be some kid's science project, he's met Ant-Man, anything's possible in the world of shrinking science. All he can hear is the distant howl of the wind, the agressive scrape of his metal thumb across his palm, and_ -)

"I'm sorry, Mr Parker, I don't believe I can track a course home from here." The cool, familiar voice of Karen answers him. Peter clenches his fist hard enough to strain the metal of his suit.

( _His AI doesn't remember him, what a stupid thing to get upset about at this moment. Was Karen just gone? She couldn't be, she must be in there somewhere, his regular suit was in there, just beneath the surface. The truth was just beneath the surface. If he peeled back this new, shiny Iron-Spider hybrid, piece by technicolour, chromium-alloy piece, he could turn back time. He'd be in the park with Mr Stark and the wizards, he'd be on the bus with Ned, he'd be at home with May. How,_ how _, could Dr Strange - aptly named - give Thanos the Time Stone, how? He just wanted to go back. Peter could go back to before this, he could go back to being normal, he could burn Oscorp to the ground before ever stepping foot in it. He doesn't like the feeling this sentiment brings. He's a hero, it's in his blood, not his powers. He'd be here one way or another._ )

"That's okay, Karen." His voice is watery, so close to cracking from forced optimism. He's trying so hard to keep his spirits up for his lone companion. "Do you know where we are?"

"Who's Karen?" The AI asks.

"You, of course it's- we're the- we're the-" He can't bring himself to say it.

( _We're the only ones left. Only ones left alive. Only humanoid on this abandoned dust cloud of a planet. Alone in space. He's sixteen. He's a smart kid, could be the on the honour roll if he wasn't, you know, The Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman. His priorities were elsewhere. He wasn't Tony Stark, able to fly a spaceship he'd just infiltrated after studying it's tech for like a minute. He wasn't Jane Foster, with years of study into interstellar travel. He'd kill for a bifrost right about now. He was just Peter. He was just Peter._ )

"I'm Karen?" The AI confirmed, before continuing. "Im sorry, Mr Parker, I am unable to identify where we are." A pause. A heavy, finally audible sob from Peter. "What's wrong, Mr Parker?"

( _There's no sound now, not really. Not like there should be. He's so used to the noise of New York, listen to the city breathe along with its people. The sirens and the horns and the shout of kids and adults alike. There's no singing out here. There's no joy for life. There's ash. There's ash and metal and dust. There's silence where there should be five other voices. He's going to- There's a lot of things Peter's going to do, if exposure doesn't get him first._ )

"We're in _space_. Real, live, not-Earth space. This _should_ be the coolest moment of my life." He's barely choking out words between tears.

( _He can take his time, it's not like he's holding anyone up. He's crying, heart in his throat, choking on the floating remains of the people who fought beside him. This world was dead long before his friends were. It'll be dead long after he is. It sits hard in his chest, the feeling pressing against his ribs. It'll be there until the end, because he's going to die here. This weight, his impending doom, it's made a home for itself nestled between his lungs._ _Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, some other eighth grade English garbage. He's never going to finish high school. Are MJ and Ned dust now? He can't think about May,_ he won't.)

"But everyone's gone, it's me, and it's you, and I want to go home. Please." He's begging now. Begging for his life with an AI who's just trying her best. Karen is quiet for a long moment.

"Sending out a distress signal now."

( _When he looks down at his hands, he sees the ash embedded in between the metal plates. The ash and Mr Stark's blood on his hands. It's quiet out here. Space is so very lonely._ )

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] a quiet place amongst the stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16884405) by [KeeperofSeeds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds)




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